


Once More, With Feeling

by StupidGenius



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: ??????? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dave and Klaus centric tbh, Dave is doing his Best, Hospitals, Hurt Dave, Injury Recovery, It was so weird adding god as a character lol, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Multi, No Apocalypse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The original characters are his family, Time Travel Fix-It, i mean they're trying to stop it, kind of, the graphic depictions are for the PTSD dreams and flashbacks mostly just so yall knwo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-04 12:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18604267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StupidGenius/pseuds/StupidGenius
Summary: He opens to his mouth to tell him –I love you. It’s okay. Promise me you’ll make it out of here, for me.But none of that comes out.Instead, he closes his eyes, and for a moment (A long, long moment), David Katz does not exist.And then he does.---Dave Dies. God decides maybe he shouldn't have.





	1. Reset (the third)

**Author's Note:**

> I have another fic w this title but if fits this fic way better honestly. I promise the chapter will be long than this, i just wanted to be dramatic lol. Haven't done much fic for this fandom yet, but i hope yall like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have another fic w this title but if fits this fic way better honestly. I promise the chapter will be long than this, i just wanted to be dramatic lol. Haven't done much fic for this fandom yet, but i hope yall like it.

Dave’s last coherent thought, as he lays on the ground dying, is this:

He really, _really_ loves Klaus.

The white hot fire and blinding agony from the initial shot to the chest only lasts a minute, tops. Maybe he’s lucky, that it’s quick. When he comes back to himself, he’s being turned over, and he’s numb. He cant really feel his body, and the world around him is hazy and grey, sounds muffled. But he can hear Klaus’ cries perfectly, feel his warm hands on his face and his tears on his skin, and he thinks;

I’m so sorry.

Before he closes his eyes one last time, he see’s him. What little light that manages to break through the clouds catches on Klaus’ curls, making him glow. He looks desperate. Panicked. But ethereal, none the less. He opens to his mouth to tell him – _I love you. It’s okay. Promise me you’ll make it out of here, for me._

But none of that comes out.

Instead, he closes his eyes, and for a moment (A long, long moment), David Katz does not exist.

And then he does.

He wakes up, which he never expected. He opens his eyes and finds himself sitting upright, in a diner that looks too much like the one ma used to take him and his little sister to Wednesday after school, before the war and before it closed down. The word is devoid of color, strangely enough, and Dave doesn’t feel quite real. He presses a hand to his chest and it comes back clean. Cleaner than it’s been in months, actually.

Wasn’t he just covered in dirt and blood? Wasn’t he just at war?

“Ahem.” Someone clears their throat in front of him, and he startles.

It’s a little girl.

She’s sitting across from him in the booth, staring at him with a rather bored expression, large white hat on her head and small hands clasped over the table.

“Oh. Hello?” he tries, polite as he can. He’s still a bit confused.

“I’m going to cut right to chase, here, David.” She begins. “A lot of things have happened down there. The world is a mess. A lot of dump people think they can control what happens, but they all end up making it worse. This is the second reset.”

He frowns.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean.” He looks around. “Where is this? Last thing I remember, I...”

“Died.” She finishes for him, blunt. He swallows.

“Well. Yes. Is this...um. Heaven?” He tries. She shrugs.

“If that’s what you want to call it.”

Okay.

That’s not exactly helpful, but it’s something.

“I don’t mean to offend anyone, but...this isn’t what I was expecting.” He finally admits.

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know.” He says honestly. She hums.

“I didn’t make it with anyone’s expectations in mind, so you’re just going to have to deal with it. It doesn’t really matter where we are now, though. You won’t be here long.” The girl says. Dave looks back at Her, surprised.

“You..?” He realizes. She sighs.

“Listen. I don’t care nearly as much as the people down there like to believe, okay? But if  _your_  old high school science project just erupted in flames and destroyed itself right in front of you, whether you care about it or not, wouldn’t you be concerned too?” She pauses, like She’s waiting for him to understand, but he doesn’t. He’s just barely come to terms with the fact that the little girl before him is – “There’s...let’s call them a group. An _organization_. They exist outside of time, which makes things somewhat difficult, and they like to think they can play a god. But when it comes down to it,  **I**  decide when your world ends. And I have decided that it doesn’t. Not yet. Maybe not for a while.” She leans back. “They’ve been a nuisance. They’ve caused the apocalypse two times now, you see. And those weird kids haven’t been able to stop it yet. They’re going to try again, and I don’t feel like going down there to fix this. But  _you_ , David,” She cocks Her head to the side. “I think you can.”

“You think - me?” He shakes his head. “Wait. I’m...confused. What do you mean – ”

“Some things are hard to do even for me. We don’t have much time if this is going to work. You just have to trust me.” The corner of Her mouth lifts a little. “I told Klaus I don’t like him, once. And that’s still true. He wasn’t who I needed him to be, yet. But I’m omnipotent. I know he’ll get there.”

The mention of Klaus has him leaning forward, chest tight.

“Klaus, I - is he okay? Did he make it out?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” She raises her hand. “David Katz; I’m giving you a second chance, alright? I don’t do this often. Try not to waste it.”

“Wait, I’m not – I still don’t – ”

And then she snaps her fingers, and he’s gone.


	2. March 1st - 10th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If his friends and family notice the change in him, they don’t bring it up. Maybe they attribute it to the fact that he almost died.
> 
>  _Did_ die.
> 
> Oh, this is going to get so confusing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some clarification, I’m calling the time line where five returns “the first reset”, and the time line he creates when he takes them all back to their 13 y/o bodies “the second reset”. This fic is an AU where the second reset fails, and God is tired of it, so she sends Dave back into the first reset time line because she believes his presence will fix it. Hope that makes sense y’all I’m so bad at explaining my thought process.
> 
> Also, quick question: who else imagines Dave’s personality as like...fucking Captain America?????? Is bc of the war????? Is it the fact that he’s blonde?????? I have this scene in my head where Dave calls Luther ‘son’, for some reason.
> 
> (Also [again] the medical shit may or may not be inaccurate. idk)

**March 1st**

 

He forgets himself.

For a million years and only just a few seconds, he doesn’t know who he is. He doesn’t know where he is. If he’s alive, or dead, if he’s a real live being or someone’s passing thought. He floats in cool grey and he doesn’t have words. He doesn’t have a form.

And then he wakes up.

He opens his eyes to a grainy white ceiling and the sound of shoes squeaking against the floor. There’s something beeping nearby, birds chirping outside, the distant indiscernible sounds of busy life around him. Something’s in his mouth, down his throat, almost _choking_ him, and he panics, squeezing his eyes shut. The beeping gets faster.

“Dave! Dave, hey, hey, it’s okay.” Someone says. Something – a hand? – rests on his shoulder. “Dave? Just relax. The doctors had to intubate, but they said once you wake up they can take it out. Can you hear me?”

He forces himself to relax, like the voice says, and opens his eyes again.

He doesn’t recognize the face above him, for a moment. She’s a light tan, dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail and bangs tucked behind her ear, chocolate eyes wide with worry. He blinks, confused.

“Dave.” She breathes, clearly relieved. “There you are. Shit. Everyone’s worried about you, you know.”

And then he remembers.

He does know her. _Of course_ he knows her. She’s his partner. His best friend. Eudora and him have been teamed up since they got out of the academy.

But. Wait.

Wasn’t he just –

Oh, his head hurts.

“I’m going to go get the doctor.” She says gently, moving to squeeze his hand softly before leaving the room. He turns his head a bit towards the window and stares.

The last thing he remembers is ~~dying in the middle of a war, someone’s arms around him, screaming~~ stopping at a gas station for some snacks. He and Eudora were working overnight on this case, and they were both hungry. ~~Klaus dropped into his life with a flash of blue in nothing but a bloody bath towel and an overcoat and it was the best damn thing the war ever brought him~~ it was his turn to go get food, and it was closer to the station that Griddy’s. He didn’t expect the robbery, he wasn’t fast enough, he ~~woke up to a black and white world and a little girl telling him he has a second chance~~ –

His name is David Katz. He’s twenty five years old. He was born on March 1, 1943. He was a soldier.

But.

His name is David Jeramiah Katz. He’s twenty _eight_ years old. He was born February 21, 1991. He’s a detective, and he’s good at it. He’s always wanted to be a cop, when he was younger. He has two older sisters and a little brother and a dog and an apartment and he has never been to war.

 _Except_. Except he has. He spent nearly a year in Vietnam, except. That happened before he was born. Except –

But then he met God.

Was She God?

Eudora comes back with his doctor, and the tube in his throat gets taken out and replaced with an oxygen mask. It hurts. Everything hurts. He’s tired and aching and his mind is still reeling by the end of it, but he can’t sleep yet. He answers the doctor’s questions and gets told that he’s lucky – a few inches to the left and he could have been a goner. He lays a hand over the bandages on his chest numbly, remembering the way Klaus had shouted for a medic, layered over the distressed voices of the cashier at the gas station and the sound of sirens in the distance.

He huffs out a laugh despite himself, and it hurts. Of course it does.

This is ridiculous.

“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head on the way down, Katz?” Eudora asks, eyeing him warily. “What’s so funny?”

“I think I met god.” He croaks. She stares at him.

“Sure.” She cracks a smile after a moment. “What was he like?”

“She didn’t seem to like me very much.” He mumbles. Eudora really does laugh then, leaning forward in her seat. She looks tired.

“God’s a woman? I’m not surprised.” She pauses, looking down. “You really scared me. I knew that snack run was taking too long, and then I got that call…”

“I’m okay.” He assures her. He is…very far from it, he knows, but he doesn’t need her knowing that.

“You almost weren’t.” She says softly. “Dave, when I got there…there was so much blood.” She clears her throat. “Your mom was here earlier. She had to go, but she wanted me to tell you your brother’s on a plane here, if you woke up while I was here.”

“Great.” He murmurs, eyelids drooping. Eudora pats his arm lightly, smiling softly.

“Get some rest, okay? I’ll go down to the station and tell the guys you’re alright.” She says, standing up. He hums, eyes slipping closed.

And then he remembers.

“Wait, I – Dora,” he calls. She pauses at the doorway, eyebrow quirked.

“You haven’t called me that in years.” She huffs.

“I know, but – what’s the date?”

“The first. Why?”

“The first of what? I just – I need to know.” He insists. She frowns.

“March. You got an important date you can’t miss?”

He relaxes against the pillows. March tenth. Yeah. He can work with that. When Klaus finally opened up to him about his past (of his future, technically) he’d said that his brother comes back raving about the end of the world on the 24th. He has time. He lets his eyes fall shut.

“Just – didn’t want to miss the season premiere of my show, is all.” He lies. He hears her groan.

“Only you, Katz. Only you.”

He falls asleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 10th**

 

He finds himself sleeping a lot, the next few days. Apparently, healing from a gunshot to the chest takes a lot of out you. hat and the shot itself. He finds out he was mostly asleep for a few days before he finally woke up for good, with a few moments of delirious consciousness. The shot punctured a lung, so he’ll be out of commission for at least two months, and he’ll be on desk duty for who knows how long. He’s not happy about it, but it’s the least of his concerns right now.

There’s an apocalypse coming in a month, and aside from that, his memories are a jumbled mess. His current life feels a million miles away, overshadowed by memories of his life before the draft, before he was shipped away, before he  _died_. He doesn’t remember what the case they’re working on is about, but he remembers going on with his friends on his birthday in 67, thinking about getting a job as an art teacher. Some parts of this life jump out at him more than the others. Going to his oldest sister’s wedding. Finding out he’s going to be an uncle. His friendship with Eudora. But Klaus.

Klaus, Klaus,  _Klaus_.

He doesn’t know him yet. Technically, they’ve never met, in any timeline. This Klaus hasn’t gone to past yet. This Dave moved here from Georgia. He’s heard of the umbrella Academy in passing, he knows maybe two of the kids’ names, and he has never seen Klaus before in his life. His heart aches, knowing the man he loves doesn’t even know he exists. He wants him here, by his side. He wants to know he’s okay. He doesn’t know if this Klaus will even go to the past. He doesn’t know how he’s here, doesn’t know how in the world he’s supposed to help stop the apocalypse. Why him?

If his friends and family notice the change in him, they don’t bring it up. Maybe they attribute it to the fact that he almost died.

 _Did_ die.

Oh, this is going to get so confusing.

They discharge him after a little over a week, and he gets winded walking down the hallway, but its nice to finally be out.

“You’re staying with me.” His oldest sister insists, once he’s out.

“What? Talia, no –”

“You think I’m gonna let you go back to your sad little apartment to take care of yourself after I almost lost you? No way, dumbass.” She goes to smack the back of his head and then hovers, dropping her hand on the back of the wheelchair his nurse basically _forced_ him into.

“But -I don’t want to impose, Tal. What about Maria? And Nathan?”

“I’m pretty sure she’ll be okay with it. And you’re his favorite uncle. It’ll be fine.” She pauses. “Don’t tell Noah I said that. Kid’s sensitive.”

Dave sighs.

He wants to stay with her.  He wants to get to know her again, make new memories that aren’t faded. But on the other hand, he’s…different. He doesn’t know how to even _begin_ to explain what happened to him, doesn’t know how he’ll react to certain things.

He knows he needs help, though. For as much as he lectured Klaus on asking for help when he needed it, he was just as guilty of pushing himself too far. He can almost see Klaus’ disbelieving look now, imagine him hovering nervously over his cot until one of the others dragged him away.

“…ave. _Dave_. Are you listening to me?” Talia waves a hand in front of his face, worry etched into her features.

“Um. Yeah.”

“Where did you go?” She asks softly.

“I was just…thinking. About work.” He lies.

He’s had to do a lot of lying, lately.

“Right. Of course. My brother almost dies and all he can think about is when he’ll be able to get back to running around New York and almost dying again.” She rolls her eyes and helps him into her car. “I’d say I can’t believe you, but. I’ve known you your whole life, so that would be a lie.”

They drive in silence for a while, and Dave falls into a strange not-quite-asleep, not-quite-awake state. He thinks the world goes grey for a moment, and then the car is being parked and Talia is helping him out.

“I should probably tell you, before we go in, that there’s a glad-you’re-not-dead party waiting in my living room for you.” She informs him. He groans.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Wasn’t my idea. Your cop buddies wanted to celebrate and I just graciously agreed to host. Patch thought maybe it should tell you beforehand, because it’s probably not a good idea to surprise a man that just had open chest surgery.”

There is, indeed, a party waiting for him when he finally makes it inside.

A few of his friends from the station are there, and Eudora too. His captain is there, and his sister Beth and his brother Noah, and Talia’s wife Maria, and his mom. She hugs him like she didn’t just see him yesterday, careful not to press against his chest, and he nibbles on cake while his friends catch him up on everything he missed while he was in the hospital.

It feels somewhat bittersweet for him. He remembers his brothers in arms, and he misses them. He wonders which ones made it. Which ones are still around.

Which ones would accept him, if they _knew_.

He’s practically falling asleep where he sits when he notices Eudora’s phone ring, and he catches sight of the name on the screen when she pulls it out.

**DIEGO**

_“What about you, Hargreeves? You got any family waiting for you?” Paul asks. Klaus shrugs, flipping a card in his hand._

_“I’ve got a few siblings, but I doubt any of them really miss me. They probably haven’t even noticed im gone.” He pauses thoughtfully. “Well. Maybe Diego noticed.”_

It can’t be. Can it?

He waits for her to come back before asking about it.

“Who was that?” he wonders, trying to sound casual. She exhales roughly, looking annoyed.

“Just Diego, trying to worm his way into one of our cases again. I swear, one day he’s gonna get in serious trouble and I’m not going to be able to bail him out of it.”

And then he remembers.

David Jeremiah Katz hasn’t met Klaus. Not yet.

But he _has_ met his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter might be even longer! Who knows! Not me!!!!!! Hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> (this chapter was gonna be longer but i am Impatient okay)
> 
> ((EDIT: prob not gonna be a new chapter until tuesday bc i'm going to the ren fair, then I'm seeing Endgame, and THEN im working on commissions. but if i dont have one up by the 1st pls feel free to yell at me guys okay)


	3. March 14 - 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He doesn’t find any information on Klaus, probably because he didn’t really have any government papers on him to begin with. He does manage to discover that he’s his own distant relative, which is – weird.

**March 14 th **

After a few days of his siblings coddling him and his mom trying feed him in bed like he’s five, he’s finally able to walk for more than a minute without feeling like he’s just run a mile. He still can’t get very far, but he _has_ to get out of her apartment. While Talia and her wife are at work, and Nathan’s at daycare, he packs up his pain meds and takes the bus to the library.

He has some research to do.

He starts with himself. He finds that his first life definitely still happened. He died near the beginning of 1969. He doesn’t find any information on Klaus, probably because he didn’t really have any government papers on him to begin with. He does manage to discover that he’s his own distant relative, which is – weird. He makes his head hurt wondering if his currently life even technically _existed_ before that Girl snapped her fingers and sent him back to the land of the living. He doesn’t know if he wants the answer to that particular question.

He does research on the umbrella academy next. Klaus told him a bit about it towards the end, after he’d finally convinced Dave that ‘ _yes, babe, I’m from the future’_.

There isn’t much information out there on what happened to them after the death of number six, dubbed ‘the Horror’. Dave knows that Ben died young, and that Klaus saw his ghost after, but that’s the extent of his knowledge.

Now that he thinks about it, Klaus never did like to talk too much about his family.

Maybe he thought he’d never see them again.

There’s a lot on Allison. But then, of course there is – she’s the only one that stayed in the spotlight after the umbrella academy officially disbanded. She lives in California though, so she’s not going to be any help to him. There are a few articles about Number One being sent to the moon on some sort of research mission, which is _wild_. There are a lot of theories about the disappearance of Number five, including a few Buzzfeed Unsolved videos surrounding both him and The Horror.

Dave already knows that Diego went to the police academy, and that he flunked out of it and now spends his free time trying to be a vigilante. Part of him is annoyed, because part of him _knows_ Diego – him and his domino mask and his knives that keep ending up at _their_ crime scenes.

There is no info on what happened to Klaus.

He finds the book on his way out.

It’s not much help to him either, since it’s about their lives as kids. He already knows about Klaus’ addictions, and that he’s been to rehab a few times.

He’s flipping through the book when it occurs to him.

He’s a _detective_. He’d forgotten, for bit, but memories of his job and his countless cases come up to the surface.

He can just look Klaus up.

Should he, though?

What’s he going to say, when he meets him? ‘Hi, I’m Dave, you don’t know me yet but we met and fell in love in the past, but then I died, but now I’m back and I’m here to help you save the world, somehow? Also, your little brother isn’t dead?’

Yeah. That’ll go over really well.

He puts the book back on the shelf, makes his way over to Griddy’s, and tries to think of his next move.

He knows that the world is supposed to end on April 1st. He also knows that Five arrives the day of Reginal Hargreeves’ funeral. He checked, and the old man is still alive, so Five isn’t here. Which means none of them know about the apocalypse. Five probably knows the most about what happens, considering he was there.

How is he supposed to stop this without knows anything about it?

“…and just a plain doughnut for this idiot, thanks.” Someone says beside him. Dave startles and winces, hand going to his chest.

“I’m not – Eu?”

Patch leans forward and fixes him with a look.

“When your doctor told you to ‘get some rest’, I don’t think this is what she had in mind.” She shakes her head. “What are you doing here? Your family’s worried sick about you, you know.”

Dave grimaces.

“There was something I had to do.”

“You just got out of the hospital, Katz. The most important thing you should be doing right now is healing so you can get back to fighting crime with me.” She nudges him gently. “Why’d you leave?”

The nice woman behind the counter hands him his doughnut and sets Eudora’s coffee and muffin down, and he smiles gratefully at her.

“I…I needed to be on my own, for a while.”

She narrows her eyes.

“Right. I know you, Dave. When you need to be alone, you come here.”

“I _am_ here.” He points out. He doesn’t say ‘ _you don’t really know me, anymore_ ’ like he wants to, because he doesn’t know if Eudora will believe him. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever tell her.

“Yeah, except I’ve been here for half and hour, and you just walked in five minutes ago. Which you absolutely shouldn’t be doing, unless you want your long to collapse and another trip to the hospital.” She takes a sip of her coffee and watches him, waiting for his reaction.

He’s not really surprised.

They’re the best at what they do.

“Dora…” He starts, hesitant. “If…if I ask you for something, will you promise not to ask me any questions about it? At least, not yet, anyway?”

“What do you need?”

“I need Diego’s phone number.” He knows he doesn’t have it – he checked his phone to be sure. He also knows that Diego and Patch used to date, before he got partnered with her and Diego flunked out.

She frowns, clearly confused, but jots it down for him on a napkin anyway.

“Thank you.” He breathes. She eyes him.

“Your sisters told me you’ve been acting kind of strange since they brought you home.” She says softly. “I told them that’s to be expected. We’ve known officers who had to recover from stuff like this, and they’re always a little different after. But this is something else, isn’t it?” When he just looks at her, she sighs. “Just promise me you’re not planning on joining his whole super hero make believe bullshit once you’re healed, okay? Because that will definitely get you and that _idiota_ killed.”

He laughs.

“I promise I’m not planning on becoming a vigilante.” He swears. “I just…I have some things I need to ask him about.”

“Wanna know where he buys his fetish gear?’ She huffs, and he rolls his eyes, checks going kind of warm.

“ _No,_ ma’am. I just – I wanted –”

“It’s cute how your accent comes out when you’re flustered, but if you ever call me ‘ma’am’ again, this partnership is _over_.” She tells him. She takes a bite of her muffin, and Dave smiles.

His life is such an unbelievable mess right now, but this.

This is nice

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 15 th **

 

At night, he dreams of the war.

Nothing about it is quite right, the past and present bleeding together horrifically. He sees the bodies of his friends from the station riddled with bullets or blown to bits in the trenches. He sees Klaus, bathed in black and whites and greys, crying and screaming for him, ‘HELLO’ reaching towards him, and he’s stuck frozen inside the tent. Elizabeth’s face morphs into his younger sister from the past, begging him to stay with her. He sees his and Klaus’ positions reversed, and when he turns him over, it’s Eudora laying there instead, bleeding out. He wakes up overheated, drenched in sweat and heart bounding painfully, and he forces himself to take less frantic breaths and sits up in the bed, disoriented for a moment when he notices that its not a flimsy cot. After a few moments, he leans forward and puts his head in his hands.

He was never at war. He was at war fifty years ago.

He was at war two weeks ago.

“Why am I still here?” he breathes shakily in his palms.

Part of him expects that Little Girl to come in and give him the same bored, vaguely annoyed expression she’d given him at the diner in heaven (???). He wants _her_ to. Then maybe she could explain to him what, exactly, he’s supposed to do.

He glances at his clock on the wall.

**7 AM**

Okay. He doubts he’s be getting back to sleep any time soon. He shrugs on a zip up hoodie and leaves a note on the fridge saying he’s going to the park and that he promises he won’t be long, and steps outside.

If his Klaus could see him now, he’d probably be pissed.

But he’s not here.

Once he make it outside, he stops to lean against the side of the building and catch his breath. Its still busy outside – it always is, no matter the time of day. There are kids rushing to school and adults rushing to their jobs and he’s both used to it and fascinated by it. He sees a small woman trip over air on the sidewalk in front of him and reaches out to steady her instinctively, pain bursting in his chest.

“Oh!” he sucks in a breath sharply, and she looks up at him, eyes wide.

“Did – um, did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, I didn’t think – I should look where I’m going.”

“It’s okay.” he wheezes, letting her go. “My fault, really. Not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting.”

“Oh, sorry. Did you pull a muscle?”

“Not exactly.” He winces, hand resting lightly over his stitches. “But, really, there’s no need to apologize, ma’am. I’m okay.”

“Good.” She says quietly, tucking a strand of wavy dark brown hair behind her ear. She’s, honestly, one of the shortest women he’s ever seen, the top of her head coming up to just below his shoulder. She also looks kind of familiar, like he’s seen her recently. He thinks back, wondering if maybe he knew her Before, but nothing comes up. “Well, then, thanks. For catching me.”

“It was no problem at all.” He notices the dark case hanging from her hand. “You play an instrument?”

“Oh, yeah – I’m – I play the violin for the orchestra. But – I’m just third chair. Nothing special. I’m on my way to practice right now.” She admits.

“I always liked the violin. I’m sure you sound great.” She smiles shyly.

“That’s sweet, but you haven’t even heard me play. I’m just – I’m average.” She tells him. he shakes his head.

“Im sure that’s not true. Hey! There’s…” he thinks back. “There’s a concert at the end of the month, right? I read about it in the paper, I think. I’ll go, and then ill be certain that you’re amazing, miss…?”

“Um. Just Vanya, is fine.” She mumbles. He grins.

“Vanya, the best violin player in all of New York. I’m Dave.” He holds out a hand. She shakes it, shy smile shifting to something more amused.

“Nice to meet you, Dave.” She glances down at her wrist, and curses. “I have to get to practice, I’m gonna be late – but I hope you can make it to the concert! And that you feel better!” She says quickly, turning and hurrying down the street. Dave waves weakly after she’s gone.

The concert, if he remembers correctly, is on the day the apocalypse is supposed to happen. So. At least that’s something else to fight for.

He decides against going for a short walk after that, because his chest is starting to feel too tight and walking down the stairs was hard enough. Once he makes it back up, takes his meds, and settles down on the couch to watch some strange children’s cartons with his nephew, it occurs to him.

He remembers where he’s seen that face before. Where he’s seen that _name_.

Vanya Hargreeves. Klaus’ _sister_.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 15 th (later)**

 

The ‘plan’ he comes up with is really more of a ‘to do’ list than a plan, but it’s all he has.

First, he needs to find Klaus. He’s not exactly sure how he’s going to explain everything to any of them just yet, but if anyone’ll believe his story, it’s Klaus. He already knows where to find Diego, and Vanya. Luther is still up on the moon, and Allison is still in Cali, but maybe if he gets the rest of the siblings together, they can convince the others to come home. And then he’ll…what? This is the part he always gets stuck on, because it’s not like Klaus can back up his story.

He doesn’t even know where Klaus is, anyway.

From what he gathered, Klaus was technically homeless for a long time. It was one of the aspects of his past that he never really talked about, and Dave didn’t want to pry. He has a feeling that, if he calls Diego to ask where his brother is, it won’t end well for him. He runs a hand down his face and sighs.

There is…one person. Who might be able to help him, and isn’t still trapped in the future, and isn’t dead.

Yet.

He just also happened to be a grade A asshole, and an abusive dick that Dave really wants to do terrible things to, so it might be a bit hard to talk to him.

Reginald Hargreeves is alive, for now. And he will be for at least another week. He might know where Klaus is, if only because he doesn’t want to lose track of one of his precious experiments. The thought of talking to him makes Dave kind of sick, but he probably has no other choice at this point. He could wait until he knows all the Hargreeves siblings are in the mansion, but then he still wouldn’t know what to do, and just sitting around waiting makes him antsy. So.

Paying him a visit it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i keep meaning to make these chapters longer, but i'm just. so impatient you guys. But!!!! Klaus is coming in soon, don't worry.


	4. March 17 - 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “David Jeremiah Katz,” Talia huffs. He can’t help but smile.
> 
> “There’s no need to Full Name me, Tal.”
> 
> “When you behave like a child, I treat you like a child.” She says primly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer! yay!
> 
> Maybe i am finally learning to stop being so impatient.
> 
> Enjoy!

**March 17 Th**

 

It takes him a full day to work up the courage to go.

Everyone knows where the Hargreeves Mansion is. That’s not the problem – the real issue is actually getting into the mansion and talking to the bastard. No one has actually seen him since the Horror’s funeral, and all phone calls are handled by his butler or his assistant. When Dave comes up to the iron gate before the door, he doesn’t expect it to be unlocked. And when he hesitantly knocks on the door, he _definitely_ doesn’t expect it to actually open.

The woman who opens the door is young – maybe even younger than Klaus. The thing that throws him off about her is that she looks like she stepped right out of his childhood – his _first_ one. Her blonde hair is neatly pinned back and curling over her shoulders, perfectly painted red lips stretched into a sweet smile. She presses her apron smooth against her skirt and stands with her heels together and hands clasped.

“Hello, dear. You’re not the usual delivery man.” She says. Her voice is almost melodic, and he finds himself relaxing a bit.

“No, ma’am. I’m actually here to see Mr. Hargreeves.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Master Hargreeves is a very busy man, and he doesn’t have time for visitors today. Maybe you can try again tomorrow?” She says kindly. Dave sighs.

“No, I…it’s really important. Maybe you could ask him?”

Her smile falters, a bit.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’m not supposed to disturb him while he’s working – he’s a very busy man, you know. He’s going to do so many great things.” The way she says it makes something cold race up his spine, and he frowns.

“It’s…” Dave thinks, for a moment. “It’s about his kids.”

Her stiff smile turns into something softer, eyes widening slightly.

“Oh, the children! I miss them so much. They rarely come by to see me anymore – except for Diego. He’s such a sweet boy.” She sighs wistfully, looking away. Something feels – off, about her.

“Grace.” An old voice calls from in the house. “Come back inside.”

“Pogo, this nice boy wants to talk about the children.” She calls back, looking hesitant. She takes a half step back.

“I need to talk to Mr. Hargreeves about them.” He says, louder. Maybe that’s him, talking to her? “Are you…are you him?”

“No. Master Reginald is not accepting Visitors at the moment. Good day.” The voice says.

Dave’s starting to get kind of frustrated, honestly. They haven’t even _asked_ this guy if he wants to see him.

“It’s important.” He stresses.

“I’m terribly sorry, but –”

“It’s about the apocalypse.” He finally says.

After a moment, the voice calls out again.

“Come in.”

The woman – Grace – smiles at him again and pushes the door open further, motioning for him to come inside.

He doesn’t know what he expected.

When Klaus talked about his childhood home, he made it sound more like a science lab or some kind of facility, and less like a house. It doesn’t look anything like what Dave pictures, but it doesn’t look very lived in, either. He feels almost like he’s standing in the middle of a museum. Just on the other side of the grand staircase, he can see one of the large walls plastered with paintings of landscapes, animal heads mounted across from it. There’s a large picture of a bored looking boy in a school kid’s uniform hanging nearby, and he can see another painting of a group of kids in similar clothes on the other side of the staircase. None of them look very happy.

He’s going to go ahead and assume the man in the monocle behind them is Reginald.

“What do you know about any sort of apocalypse.” The voice from before asks. Dave turns around.

Standing at just about Grace’s waist, with thin round wire glasses and hunched over a cane, is a chimp.

A chimp in clothes.

Dave blinks a couple times, inhaling sharply.

Klaus used to say so many weird things. Some of them, Dave believed – the ghosts, he could prove. The further took some more convincing, but he still had a medical bracelet on him, and he just – he knew so many things. Other things, like talking chimps and robots from moms and having his own personal space ship – those were harder pills to swallow, and Dave didn’t say anything because he thought they were just stories. Klaus was so good at making them up. ‘ _I was born to entertain, baby._ ’

“You must be Pogo.” He gets out after a minute. The chimp nods.

“I am.” He glances at Grace (who, he realizes, must be the robot mom Klaus spoke so fondly about). “Now. What is it, exactly, that you must talk to Master Reginald about?”

“I know the world ends on April first. I’m here to help stop it. I just…don’t entirely know how I’m going to do that.” He says honestly. Pogo frowns at him.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain.” He winces, leaning back against the wall. “And I’m not really sure how to do that, yet, either, but I – I need to know where Klaus is, and I need to know if he knows what causes it.”

Pogo Hobbles closer, looking curiously up at him.

“I’m sorry to say that Master Reginald does not keep track of the children like he used to. He is also not in the country, at the moment. He wont answer any calls.” He sounds almost frustrated, at the last bit. “Master Klaus… he lost track of him a long time ago. He was always more of a free spirit. You might have better luck asking Miss Vanya where he is.”

Perfect.

“Thank you.” Dave sighs. “Do…do _you_ happen to know anything about the apocalypse?”

Pogo shakes his head.

“He doesn’t tell me much, anymore. I’m sorry. I wish I could be more help.”

“It’s alright.” Dave says softly. Pogo looks him over before nodding and disappearing down a hallway. Dave tries not to be too disappointed – he wasn’t sure he’d actually be able to talk to Reginald, though it would have been a big help.

A hand on his arm startles him, And he jumps, wincing when it pulls uncomfortably at his chest.

“You’re injured. You should sit.” Grace says gently, still smiling.

“No, no, it’s okay. I was just leaving.”

“Are you sure? I can make you cookies. Would you like some?” She looks so hopeful. Dave hesitates, and she takes that as a yes. “Wonderful! Come sit in the kitchen will me – they’re already in the oven, it’ll only be a moment.”

He follows her through the mansion, and spots more stoic looking paintings along the way. He notices, despite the fact that there are supposed to be seven siblings, the paintings only ever have six kids in them.

_“Vanya’s not – like us.” Klaus admits, uncharacteristically quiet. He brings his cigarette to his lips, hand shaking. “She’s normal. No powers, no training. No expectations.” He laughs humorlessly and shakes his head. “Guess she was lucky, huh?”_

“So you were – are – their mom?” Dave asks, watched Grace move around the kitchen, pulling out a tray and some cups.

“Yes! I wasn’t always, but then Diego started calling me that, and it stuck I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She sounds proud, when she says it. “Reginald tried to discourage them, at first, but they insisted. Aren’t they sweet?”

“They are.” He agrees. She beams.

“I’m so proud of them. They saved so many lives on those missions. Sometimes, I think…” She pauses, staring off vacantly. And then she blinks rapidly, and looks back to him. “I miss them so much. They don’t come by to visit me as often anymore. But Pogo is wonderful company.”

“Does Klaus come by often?”

“No. I wish he would. I worry about him. I hope he hasn’t been into any trouble recently. That isn’t why you’re looking for him, is it?”

“No, I…” he swallows thickly, eyes stinging. _I love him. I miss him. I just want to see him one more time._ “Klaus is…a good man. I’m sure that’s you’re doing, ma’am.” He settles on, chest tight. She hands a hand to her chest.

“Oh, I’m so happy to hear that!” She opens the fridge and pulls out a pitcher, pouring the contents into eight small cups.

She must be programmed to do this, he realizes. To pour eight every time. And when her kids went away, Reginald didn’t bother changing her programming. It makes him angry. And sad. The way Klaus talked about her, the way she acts – she must feel _something_.

“Thank you for doing all of this for me.” He blurts. She smiles.

“It’s not problem, dear. It’s my job.”

The oven dings behind her, and she pulls out a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. She insists that he take them home for his family.

“Could you give one to Klaus, if you see him? I know he must miss my cooking.” She asks. Dave bites his lip.

“I swear I will.” He pauses at the door. “Grace? I know he hasn’t been around lately, but…your son loves you very much.”

She looks at him, frozen for a moment. Something blue flashes in her eyes, and when she smiles at him, it’s shaky. He doesn’t mention it.

“I love him too. I love all my children.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 18 th    **

 

Dave opens his eyes to grey.

He’s in the disco they always went to when they got leave, but it’s empty. He stands up from the bar stool and looks around.

“You’re already changing things.” The Girls says. Dave spins around.

She’s nowhere in sight.

“What do you mean?” he calls.

“I mean what I said. Am I not speaking the right language?” She sounds annoyed. _Again_. “Just keep going.”

“But – I don’t know what I’m –”

Dave wakes up.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 18 th **

 

He doesn’t go back to the Umbrella Mansion. He considers it, if only to give Grace some company and tell her how much his nephew enjoyed her cookies, but it gave him the creeps and he doubts he’ll be able to keep himself from decking Reginald right then and there, injured or not. He spend the rest of that day with his sister and her family and tried to push Klaus and Grace out of his head.

It doesn’t work. But he tried.

Today, he wakes up restless. Of course, he didn’t expect anything else – he might have dreamed about god last night. Or maybe he died, and She brought him back? Again? He’s not sure how it all works.

“Are you planning on running of to do an ‘errand’ again today?” Talia asks him that morning.

“I was going to go down to the station and say hi to everyone.” He raises an eyebrow at her tone. She gives him a flat look.

“Are you actually going to hang out, or are you gonna try and work a case when you’re supposed to be healing?”

“I wasn’t _planning_ on getting involved in any cases, but –”

“David Jeremiah Katz,” Talia huffs. He can’t help but smile.

“There’s no need to Full Name me, Tal.”

“When you behave like a child, I treat you like a child.” She says primly. “I’m asking because there was an accident at Nate’s day care and I need you to take him for today. Maria and I can’t get out of work, and Beth is too busy with wedding preparations. Noah’s…Noah.” She sighs. “If you have to go to the station, no murder talk about the five year old, please?”

“Of course.” He promises. She stares at him, expression calculating.

His family is smart. Talia is especially observant – he knows she’s noticed something’s up with him. If not the nightmares, then she’s noticed the bruises under his eyes, and the tenseness in his shoulders. Maybe she’s seen the way he holds himself differently. How he flinches at loud sounds sometimes. He doesn’t know if she’s put together that its not at all from his near brush with death, yet. But he wouldn’t put it past her.

It’s a weird feeling, knowing someone, but not. When he looks back on memories of his family, he feels like he’s watching them through thick, foggy glass, just barely seeing, but getting enough details to keep up. He knows that he loves them. He loves them so much. But he also misses his first sister, younger than him, and he wonders if she ended up looking like this new Elizabeth. He misses his mom, who’s hair wasn’t as light or as curly as this one’s, who wasn’t quite as tall. How do you tell your family that you’re mourning your family? He can't imagine sitting them all down and telling them he remembers his past life. Telling them about how he’s starting to thin that this body, this life, it’s memories, it’s _family_ – might has all been snapped into existence the moment god decided She needed them there.

He’ll have to ask Her about that, next time.

“I love you, you know that, right Talia?” He chokes out. She jolts, surprised.

“I – yeah, of course. I love you too, Davey.” She frowns. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m…I’m alright.” He lies. It’s definitely not a believable lie, but she doesn’t call him out on it. She leans forward and presses a kiss to his temple. “Take care of my kid, okay? And Call Noah. He’s grumpy he doesn’t see you enough.”

“I will.”

“And take care of _yourself_ too, got it?” She asks, quieter. He smiles softly.

“Yes ma’am.”

Once she leaves, he makes sure Nathan’s at least presentable to the public before ushering him out of the house. The station doesn’t get to see him often, so they’ll be distracted enough by him that they wont notice if he pokes around. At least, most of them won’t. Dora’s got a set of eyes on the back of her head and sixth sense for when he’s doing something that me maybe shouldn’t. maybe _she’s_ one of the umbrella kids.

“What the he…ck are you doing here, Katz?” She huffs when she see’s him. he jiggles the rm that Nathan’s currently holding.

“I brought my adorable nephew.”

“Hi, Miss Dora.” Nathan beams at her, a slight lisp in his words. He lost one of his front teeth recently, and the other one is bound to come out any day now.

“Hey, Nate. You wanna check out the interrogation rooms while I talk to your uncle for a sec?” He asks, crouching to look at him.

“Are there bad guys in there?” He asks.

“Not right now. But I’m pretty sure my friend here ate the last chocolate croissant in the break room this morning and wont tell me, so you can grill him about it.” She tries. Nate nods.

“Okay.”

“Awesome. Hey, Chuck – take my friend to see the interrogation rooms for a while will you?” She calls. Chuck nods, and Nate waves at Dave before they go. Dora turns to him with narrowed eyes.

“I know I’m –”

“Do you not know what ‘take it easy’ and ‘light activity’ mean? Because, according to you family, you’ve been running around the city since the day after you got home.”

“That’s not exactly true.” But it’s not far from the truth either, actually. And it looks like she knows that.

“What are you doing going around digging up info on the Hargreeves’, Dave?” She sighs.

“This…is part of that thing I told you not to ask me about.” He says quietly.

“Officer young saw you at the mansion. I told him he had to be wrong, because I could have sworn you promised me you’d take a day to actually, you know, _rest_ , but no.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Dave…what the fuck are you doing? And don’t – don’t tell me it’s nothing, or that you cant tell me, because this is – this is getting _weird_.”

Dave deflates.

“I…we should talk somewhere else.” He finally gets out.

“Lead the way.”

He takes her to the bathroom on the second floor. All the toilets are out of order, and have been for a while, so there’s no chance of anyone walking in or overhearing them. He paces in front of her, unsure.

“You’re really starting to worry me, here.” She reaches out to stop him, and he bites his lip. “Dave? What’s going on.”

“I…died.” He says slowly. She frowns.

“I know. I was there, when you flatlined in the ambulance.”

“No, I…I didn’t know that I flatlined, actually, but that’s not what I mean. I’ve died before.” He scrubs his hands down his face.

“Now you’ve lost me.”

“This is going to sound insane, but I need you to trust me, Dora.” He takes a deep breath, and -

And he tells her.

He tells her nearly everything.

By the time he’s done, he’s trembling, and he’s pretty sure he’s crying, and his chest feels tight in a way that means he’s due for more meds before something terrible happens. Eudora hasn’t spoken in probably a good half our, listening to him go on with a carefully blank expression on her face. He leans back against the bathroom wall and tries to suck in deep, even breaths, heels of his palms digging into his eyes.

“And then I woke up here. With you.” He finishes lamely.

After a moment, he feels a hand on his shoulder, and he drops his arms, blinking the galaxies away to look at her.

“Dave…” She whispers. “That was…a lot.”

“Yeah.”

“You really think –”

“I _know_ this is what happened, Dora.” He says, firm as he can. “That Art class i took last summer has certainly given me a few bonus creativity points, but not this many.” He huffs.

“I just – this is –” She shakes her head. “This is insane, _Jesus_.”

“That’s why I thought. Until I stopped by the Umbrella Academy, I was pretty sure I was just imagining all of this.”

“But then…?”

“Then I met their android mom and monkey butler and figured that anything’s possible.” He says wryly. Her eyes widen.

“Diego’s mom is a robot?”

“That’s not what I think we should focus on, but she is. She’s very sweet. Made me cookies.”

“Of course she did.” Patch bites her lip, brows drawn. “So. The world is going to end in less than two weeks, and somehow, you’re going to help stop it.”

“I guess I am.” He whispers. She pats his shoulder lightly and smiles.

“I’m not sure I believe any of this, but…if you’re doing this, I’m doing it with you.” She smiles grimly. “We’re partners, right? So you’re stuck with me.”

Someone knocks on the bathroom door then, and Cuck and Nathan peer in.

“Why are you in a bathroom?” Nate asks, nose scrunched up.

“Just making sure there are no bad guys hiding in here.” Patch tells him. “Right, Dave?”

“Right.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 19 th**

It’s late enough at night to be concerned early morning when it happens.

He woke up from another nightmare clutching his chest and sweating, and he’s getting pretty sick of it. He knew this was a possibility, but maybe it would have been easier to deal with if he had some of his brothers in arms around him, or –

Or Klaus.

He sighs, struggling to pull open his window so he could get some fresh air.

And then he hears it.

“…up already! I know, I know I should – don’t give me that look, I know what I’m doing.” A voice says, too loud for this time of night. A figure across the street emerges from a dimly lit alleyway, alone, stumbling along the sidewalk. “No can do, _mein bruder_ , he’s still pissed about last time. Because he wasn’t there, _obviously_. Yes, I – we’re on our way right now! Look, there! stop you’re whining, _Jesus_.”\

He knows that voice.

He knows that coat too, and that mop of dark curly hair he can see under the street lamp. His heart hammers almost painfully in his chest, and this time it’s not because of a nightmare.

“Klaus.” He breathes.

He found him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** I know Klaus is technically supposed to be in rehab at this point, but let’s say that Dave getting shot the second time around set of a chain reaction that’s changed a few things ??


	5. March 19 - 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, Vanya! Dazzle anyone with your violin skills today?” He asks. She startles, looking up at him.
> 
> “Um, I – oh, it’s you!” She smiles softly. “Dave?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm about to go on a trip for a week, so i prob wont post the next chapter till after. This one took a bit, bc i've been busy with commissions, but i finally got it out. enjoy!
> 
> (Disclaimer: I know basically nothing about the vietnam war, or how anything worked back then. )

**March 19 th**

 

He doesn’t catch him.

Dave stands frozen at his window for a minute, listening to Klaus’ voice as he talks to – presumably – Ben. He frantically throws on some clothes and makes it down to the street as fast as he can, but he’s not fast enough. He’s winded by the time he makes it, and Klaus is gone. He can’t hear him anymore or see him anywhere.

He lost him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 20 th**

He gets cleared to go back to work next week (desk duty, but still) by his doctor. Apparently, he’s healing faster than she thought he would. Maybe faster that can be considered normal, judging by the look on her face when she checks him over. He’s going to go ahead and assume that that’s Her doing, and not that he has some latent supernatural abilities he didn’t know about. He spends the ten minutes waiting for his sister to pick him up staring at Diego’s contact in his phone, hesitant.

What does he even say?

When he gets back to his apartment – his own apartment, finally – he stops to take it all in.

It’s both new and familiar. Part of him has never actually been in this apartment, and the other part of him has lived in it for the past five years. He remembers buying that couch, but the memories is stuck between memories of his first kiss with a man in the 60s and the day he got his draft papers. It’s horrible and confusing and as much as he appreciates this second chance, part of him wishes he’d never gotten it.

He doesn’t know who he is anymore.

No one does.

He shakes that thought out of his head and sits down on his couch. His apartment is pretty plain, but there are some pictures around. Him and Dora at graduation, his parents when they were young, a few pictures from Talia’s wedding and of Nathan. His dog, Lucky, a large chocolate lab with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Wait.

Dave calls his sister.

“Dave? Is everything okay? Did you fall?” Talia answers. He huffs.

“I’m not an old man, Tal. But – where’s my dog?”

“Oh! I knew I forgot something.” She laughs. “Don’t worry, he’s with Beth. I’m kinda surprised you didn’t ask about him earlier, he basically your son. I thought about bringing him here for you, but I don’t think we’re allowed to have pets here, and you know Maria’s allergic anyway.”

“He’s not my son.” Dave says, reflexive. Talia laughs again.

“Sure. I’ll text her to bring him back. You just relax. You know your captain said you looked really shaken up when you went by the station. Nathan said you disappeared on him for a while.” He tone shifts to concerned. “Is this about…about what happened to you? We can get you help if you need it.”

“I’m…” he takes a breath. It’s still sore. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Talia says softly. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Yeah. See you.”

There’s a pink, sunken scar in the center of his chest now, a long line the length of his hand. The bullet had been lodged in him, somewhere, and they had to open him up to get it out. He runs a finger over it gently. He wonders if he could have healed from the one he got in Vietnam. If the medicine had been as good, would he have survived?

Probably not.

He’s still standing in his bathroom, staring numbly, when Beth arrives with his dog.

Looking at her always leaves him feeling breathless, because she just – she looks so much like his first Elizabeth. He wonders where she is now, if she’s still alive, if she had any kids he missed out on. He’s too afraid to check.

The second he opens his door, he’s hit with 80 pounds of dog, just barely managing to stay on his feet. He laugh, crouching down to let Lucky lick his face while keeping her from pressing against this chest.

“Hey! He really missed – oh.” She blinks, eyes zeroing in on his torso. “Davey, when the hell did you get that?”

“These?” He frowns, confused.

“No, that.” She points to his side, where a long white scar dips into the curve of his hip. He raises an eyebrow.

“it’s from when I had appendicitis?”

“You had appendicitis? When? Why didn’t you tell anyone?” she furrows her brows. “You know what – not important, obviously, but mom’s gonna flip when she finds out. You owe me a new pair of shoes, by the way, because Lucky here chewed through my favorite boots. He really missed you.”

“I missed you too, Luck.” He says warmly.

_Klaus’ hand darts out and stop over his chest, halting both him and the group of soldiers behind him. Dave frowns._

_“What is it?”_

_“Something’s not right here.” He says quietly. “There’s – fuck.”_

_“Why the fuck are we stopping?” Behind them, Johnny whispers harshly. “Hargreeves! Hurry up!”_

_“Just wait, alright?” Klaus snaps, uncharacteristically tense. He reaches down, tugs off a boot, and chucks it about ten feet in front of them. Spikes spring out of the ground._

Dave blinks, inhaling sharply.

_“You know what you are?” He breathes in Klaus’ ear. “My good luck charm.” And Klaus laughs and laughs._

“You look like you’re gonna cry. It’s okay, Dave. You really missed him, huh?” Beth pats his shoulder lightly.

“Yeah. Guess I did.” He says thickly.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**March 20 th**

 

He’s taking Lucky for a walk when he sees her again.

Vanya.

This time, she’s not as rushed. He almost doesn’t notice her, her washed out grey button up and pale skin making her blend in with the peeling paint of the buildings around them. She has her violin case again, and she pauses to wave lamely at another woman passing by. He comes up to her, trying to keep Lucky at bay without hurting himself.

“Hey, Vanya! Dazzle anyone with your violin skills today?” He asks. She startles, looking up at him.

“Um, I – oh, it’s you!” She smiles softly. “Dave?”

“That’s me.” He nods. “And this is Lucky.” The dog sits and pants up at her, and she hesitantly reaches out, hand hovering over his head. Lucky’s tail wags, and she finally past his head gently.

“Hi, Lucky.” She beams. “I didn’t, um. I didn’t have rehearsal today, actually. I teach violin too, I’m just coming back from a lesson.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re a great teacher.”

“Hardly.” She fidgets. He looks nervous about something, and before Dave can ask if she’s okay, she reaches into the pocket of her oversized hoodie and pulls out a piece of paper. “I have some extra tickets to the concert, if you want. I was going to give them to my siblings, but…well, I’m not sure they’d want to come.” She holds out the paper, which he can see now is a ticket. He hesitates, and her arm drops. “It’s – it’s okay, if you don’t want to, it’s fine – ”

“No, no, I would love to, but…I’m sure your siblings would love to see you play, Vanya.” He says softly. She shakes her head.

“They’re not too happy with me right now.” She mumbles.

“They can’t be mad about your book forever.” He says. Her eyes widen, and he winces. “That came out – I’m not a stalker. Okay, that sounds worse.” He pets Lucky’s head. “I didn’t know who you were when I bumped into you. I work with your brother, Diego. Technically.”

She eyes him warily.

“Are you one of his…vigilante friends?”

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have any friends.” Dave huffs, reflexive. “That was rude, sorry – I’m a cop. He has an annoying habit of showing up at my crime scenes, but he’s…he’s a good guy.”

“Oh.” She relaxes.

“I have siblings too. I know what it’s like when they’re upset with you. It sucks. But he’ll get over it. They all will.” He says, going for reassuring. She gives him a weak smile.

“That’s…optimistic.”

“My boyfriend thinks I’m too optimistic for my own good. But I’m right, trust me. They’ll come around. Keep those tickets handy.” He smiles. “I will definitely be at your concert though. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He pauses, throat tight. “Maybe…maybe I’ll bring my boyfriend along.”

“That would be great.” She glances down at her watch. “I…I gotta go. But…I hope I see you again, Dave.” She says it hesitantly, like she’s not used to talking to people. From what Klaus told him about her, maybe she isn’t. He nods.

“You too.”

He watches her go, wishing he knew what to do. The day everything kicks off is coming way too soon, and he still doesn’t have a single clue about his role in any of this.  He stares down at Lucky, who just pants up at him in response.

“What am I gonna do, bud?” he whispers.

The dog has no answers.

His phone dings in his pocket, and he pulls it out with a sigh.

**From: Dora**

**Ive been thinking about what u told me and some things dont add up**

**Why U specifically????**

Dave bites his lip.

**What do you mean**

**I mean what do u have to do w the apocalypse? Why did god or whoever bring u back? From 1968 of all places**

**…**

**There are some parts of the story I haven’t told you**

**U promised u told me everything**

**Trust me Dave**

**Please**

**This part is hard to talk about**

**And it’s going to seem kind of crazy**

**U just told me u died in the Vietnam war and that god, a little girl, brought u back from the dead to stop the apocalypse, which is on April fools, and for some reason I believed u**

**Try me**

**This is easier in person**

**Tomorrow. I swear**

**Fine**

**Be careful**

* * *

 

**March 21 st**

“Klaus Hargreeves?” Dora says, staring at him in disbelief.

“Yes.”

“As in, Diego’s junkie brother, number Four, the Séance, Klaus Hargreeves?”

“Yes.” He grits out. “Please, don’t call him that. He hates it.”

“This is…” She lets out a rough breath. You’re right. This is crazy. How does he even – how did he end up in 1968 in the first place?”

“He…” Dave swallows thickly, looking down at his hands.

_“I have a theory.” Dave whispers._

_They’re outside the tents, keeping watch. Or, they’re supposed to be. They just spent the last five minutes making out in a spot they were sure was hidden from any accidental prying eyes, so they’re not doing a very good job right now. But Dave can’t help it. It’s been a while since they were last on leave, and he misses Klaus’ warm body next to him on the bed so much it aches. Here, in their cots, with three feet of space between them, he’ll have to settle for watching the gentle rise and fall of Klaus’ chest as he sleeps._

_“Oh yeah? Lay it on me, big guy.” Klaus hums, lips stretched into a smirk._

_“I dunno. You might laugh at me.”_

_“Maybe.” Klaus grins. “Come on, you got me curious.”_

_“I think…you’re from the future.” He finally says. Klaus freezes, smile becoming brittle._

_“Oh? What makes you say that?”_

_“Just… the way you talk. The stuff you say. You sing songs you insist are popular, but they don’t exist. That story about your brother who went to the moon. The way you just seem to know some things are gonna happen.” He takes a deep breath and reaches into his pocket. “And this too.”_

_He pulls out the medical bracelet Klaus had been wearing when he first appeared. The date reads ‘March 23 rd, 2019’. Dave can’t even begin to imagine something so far away._

_“Oh.” Klaus breathes._

_“Yeah.” He holds it tight. “I’m waitin’ for you to laugh, baby.” He tries._

_Part of him knows Klaus won’t, though._

_“What do you want em to say?”_

_“Nothing.” Dave says quickly, reaching out to grip his hand. “I mean – not nothing. An explanation would be nice, but if you don’t want to talk about it…I can try and let it go.”_

_“Right.” Klaus scoffs. “You’re too stubborn to let this go, Davey. That’s what I like about you.” He sighs. “Um, the snort version? I found a time traveling briefcase and I opened it, and it dumped me here.”_

_“Wait, that –” Dave’s eyes widen. “That briefcase you always carry around? It’s a time machine?”_

_“Well. Yeah. I’m pretty sure, anyway.”_

_Dave smacks him – lightly – on the shoulder. “Hey! What was that for?”_

_“You could have gotten yourself out of here all this time and you stayed around for what? For laughs? Klaus!”_

_“Hey, hey!” He leans close, and Dave’s breath catches in his throat. “I…I’m here for you.”_

_“You hardly knew me.” He says, choked. Klaus smiles._

_“I had a feeling.”_

_“_ Dave.” Dora says softly. He looks up at her.

“What?”

“You’re crying.” She sits down across from him, expression concerned. “I called out to you a few times. I didn’t mean to…to trigger a flashback, or –”

“I was just thinking about him.” He whispers. “U, I…I love him. _So much_. And he doesn’t even know who I am right now. I don’t know if he ever will, because – if you were me, you wont want the person you love to go through something like that, would you? A war? If I have the chance to stop it, I should, right? Because if I don’t, I’m selfish. I’m – I’m so selfish. God.” He digs the heel of his palm into his eyes and inhales shakily.

“You shouldn’t have to make these kinds of decisions.” She says, gentle.

“Maybe not. But I have to.”

“We’ll find him. we’ll figure this out.” She grabs his hand. “And maybe it wont be the same, with him. You’ll have these memories and he won’t, and maybe he won’t be the guy you left behind. But…if you love him this much, maybe he’ll fall for you again.”

“I wish I could believe that, but I doubt this Klaus would even look twice at me.” He huffs. “I’m a cop now, for one.”

“Stop being so negative.” She snaps. “Everything’s gonna work out. Trust me on this.

“Okay.” He breathes. “Okay.”

_I hope you’re right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before shit starts going down! I PROMISE Klaus is actually in the next chapter! And so are a few other Hargreeves'. 
> 
> (In other news, i'm going to Mega Con in orlando! I finished my spiderman cosplay just in time and hopefully, this cold goes away by the time i have to wear it.)

**Author's Note:**

> My [Tumblr](http://littleredtheboy.tumblr.com/). Come cry over Robert Sheehan and David Castañeda w me.


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